Typology of coastal urban vulnerability under rapid urbanization

Coastal areas are urbanizing at unprecedented rates, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Combinations of long-standing and emerging problems in these urban areas generate vulnerability for human well-being and ecosystems alike. This baseline study provides a spatially explicit global systematization of these problems into typical urban vulnerability profiles for the year 2000 using largely sub-national data. Using 11 indicator datasets for urban expansion, urban population growth, marginalization of poor populations, government effectiveness, exposures and damages to climate-related extreme events, low-lying settlement, and wetlands prevalence, a cluster analysis reveals a global typology of seven clearly distinguishable clusters, or urban profiles of vulnerability. Each profile is characterized by a specific data-value combination of indicators representing mechanisms that generate vulnerability. Using 21 studies for testing the plausibility, we identify seven key profile-based vulnerabilities for urban populations, which are relevant in the context of global urbanization, expansion, and climate change. We show which urban coasts are similar in this regard. Sensitivity and exposure to extreme climate-related events, and government effectiveness, are the most important factors for the huge asymmetries of vulnerability between profiles. Against the background of underlying global trends we propose entry points for profile-based vulnerability reduction. The study provides a baseline for further pattern analysis in the rapidly urbanizing coastal fringe as data availability increases. We propose to explore socio-ecologically similar coastal urban areas as a basis for sharing experience and vulnerability-reducing measures among them

Hypoxic-mediated oxidative stress condition and hydroxyapatite-inducing osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells: a mathematical modelling study

Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the bones remains a major clinical challenge. Fractures in the talus, the scaphoid, and the neck of the femur are especially challenging to heal due to the low blood vessel network and the lack of collateral blood supply. These fractures are associated with high rates of nonunion and increased infections that require repeated operations. Conventional treatments by autografting or allografting bone replacement and synthetic bone implants have limitations, including the invasiveness of operative procedures, tissue supply insufficiency, and the risk of host rejection. The advancement in tissue engineering has revealed the potential of stem cells as restorative agents for bone injuries. The administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the talus, the scaphoid, and the neck of the femur could produce enhanced osteogenesis via the manipulation of MSC culture conditions. In this study, we used hydroxyapatite as the nanomaterial, and hypoxic milieu to enhance MSC differentiation capacity into the osteogenic lineage, allowing for more rapid and efficient bone cell replacement treatment. Our results demonstrate 1% oxygen and 12.5 μg/mL of hydroxyapatite (HAP) as the optimal conditions to incorporate the osteogenic medium for the osteogenic induction of MSCs. We also established a proof of concept that the addition of HAP and hypoxic conditions could augment the osteoinductive capacity of MSCs. We also developed an accurate mathematical model to support future bone cell replacement therapy

Antibody decay, T cell immunity and breakthrough infections following two SARS-CoV-2 vaccine doses in inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with infliximab and vedolizumab

This is the final version. Available on open access from Nature Research via the DOI in this recordData availability: The study protocol including the statistical analysis plan is available at https://www.clarityibd.org/. Individual participant de-identified data that underlie the results reported in this article will be available immediately after publication for a period of 5 years. Due to the sensitive nature of the data, this will be made available to investigators whose proposed use of the data has been approved by an independent review committee. Analyses will be restricted to the aims in the approved proposal. Proposals should be directed to [email protected]. To gain access data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement. Data from the Virus Watch study is currently being archived on the Office of National Statistics Secure Research Service and will be available shortly. Source data are provided with this paper in the Source Data file. Source data are provided with this paper.Code availability: Statistical analyses were undertaken in R 4.1.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. Code has been made available at: https://github.com/exeteribd/clarityibd-public.Anti tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs increase the risk of serious respiratory infection and impair protective immunity following pneumococcal and influenza vaccination. Here we report SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune responses and breakthrough infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, who are treated either with the anti-TNF antibody, infliximab, or with vedolizumab targeting a gut-specific anti-integrin that does not impair systemic immunity. Geometric mean [SD] anti-S RBD antibody concentrations are lower and half-lives shorter in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, following two doses of BNT162b2 (566.7 U/mL [6.2] vs 4555.3 U/mL [5.4], p <0.0001; 26.8 days [95% CI 26.2 - 27.5] vs 47.6 days [45.5 - 49.8], p <0.0001); similar results are also observed with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination (184.7 U/mL [5.0] vs 784.0 U/mL [3.5], p <0.0001; 35.9 days [34.9 - 36.8] vs 58.0 days [55.0 - 61.3], p value < 0.0001). One fifth of patients fail to mount a T cell response in both treatment groups. Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections are more frequent (5.8% (201/3441) vs 3.9% (66/1682), p = 0.0039) in patients treated with infliximab than vedolizumab, and the risk of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection is predicted by peak anti-S RBD antibody concentration after two vaccine doses. Irrespective of the treatments, higher, more sustained antibody levels are observed in patients with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection prior to vaccination. Our results thus suggest that adapted vaccination schedules may be required to induce immunity in at-risk, anti-TNF-treated patients

Analysis of the beef value chain in Bangladesh : Towards a strategic action agenda for the Dhaka city corporations

Livestock products are increasingly important in Bangladeshi diets. In developing countries including Bangladesh, the consumption of beef, mutton and chicken products grew with 5.8% per year over the last decade. In 2011 the amount of food loss and waste (FLW) for meat produced and consumed in South and Southeast Asia was estimated at 20% of the initial production. The FLW of beef in this region leads to 64,983,911 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually, which makes beef one of the hotspots for GHG emissions worldwide. In order to increase the amounts of food that reaches consumers, it is relevant to study where at various links of supply chains FLW takes place. FLW studies for beef in Bangladesh are scarce. An opportunity for the beef supply chain in Bangladesh is to work towards reducing food losses at various links of the chain. Understanding the flow of food to and within the metropolitan areas and the interaction between food producers, logistics service providers, wholesalers and retailers, and the various actors is necessary to facilitate the development of a secure, sustainable and resilient food system for the megacities. This beef value chain analysis in Bangladesh is performed as a first step with the aim to develop a strategic action agenda on the beef supply chain for the four city corporations in Dhaka. The ultimate goal is to decrease food loss and waste (FLW) with 5% and increase food availability. This value chain analysis focusses on the (post-) harvest supply chain till and including retail and processing. The analysis of the beef value chain is drafted based upon data and information gathered in a literature study, workshop conducted with multiple actors in the supply chain and extensive interviews conducted with individual actors in the supply chain. The interviewees included agricultural producers, intermediaries and truck drivers in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Pabna, Sirajgonj and Faridpur districts, and wholesalers, retailers, mobile vendors, institutional users and abattoirs located in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporation area. Part of the live cattle and part of the beef cannot be sold and do not go to the intended market. The losses for agricultural producers are estimated at 8% for breeding cattle, 21% of the calves and 2% of the fattening cattle. The main reasons for losses of live cattle at producer level are high mortality rates due to stillborn, weak calves, illnesses and diseases. At intermediary level the losses are estimated at 15%, and mortality of the fattening cattle happen due to diseases or illnesses, or due to injuries during transportation. Wholesalers and retailers process live cattle into beef and the actors indicated that between 60-80% of the carcass can be used for human consumption. Losses that occurred due to the slaughtering and processing activity were overall less than 5% and often occurred due to bad work accuracy of the employees or a bad quality of the meat. However, often this part of the beef can still be sold on the urban food market or to the industry, used for home consumption, or given to employees or the poor. During slaughtering the food safety is not well taken care of and current slaughtering practices raise food safety concerns, since the mainstream slaughtering is carried out without any supervision or inspection. Many actors and butchers slaughter the cattle at the road- or market side. Another part of the losses occurred due to bad storage. This was less than 5%. This lost beef went to landfill, was used for own consumption, or given to the poor or employees. Unsold beef occurring at mobile vendors or institutional users was very small, <0.5% and 0.1% respectively. Besides this beef was still consumed at home. The cause of this unsold beef included the lack of customers. Other challenges related to the post-harvest supply chain originate in the enabling environment, as it contributes to inefficiencies. Transportation faces challenges such as extortion and bribery, which hamper smooth execution of the various value adding stages. Furthermore, extension service provisioning does not reach agricultural producers well. Uncontrolled imports of cattle and beef result in periods of undersupply and oversupply. Overall Bangladesh is self-sufficient with respect to cattle production and consumption. However at the festival of Eid al-Adha half of the annual cattle slaughtering and consumption takes place, which is leading to capacity problems. Promising opportunities for optimizing the beef sector are through providing technical support on breeding, rearing, and caring for beef cattle, supporting cooperative structures to organize actors, promoting cultivation of (Napier) grass for cattle as a potential income generating activity, improving information, communication and transportation systems, and tapping in to the growing national demand for fresh and processed beef as well as the global demand for halal meat

Typology of coastal urban vulnerability under rapid urbanization

Coastal areas are urbanizing at unprecedented rates, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Combinations of long-standing and emerging problems in these urban areas generate vulnerability for human well-being and ecosystems alike. This baseline study provides a spatially explicit global systematization of these problems into typical urban vulnerability profiles for the year 2000 using largely sub-national data. Using 11 indicator datasets for urban expansion, urban population growth, marginalization of poor populations, government effectiveness, exposures and damages to climate-related extreme events, low-lying settlement, and wetlands prevalence, a cluster analysis reveals a global typology of seven clearly distinguishable clusters, or urban profiles of vulnerability. Each profile is characterized by a specific data-value combination of indicators representing mechanisms that generate vulnerability. Using 21 studies for testing the plausibility, we identify seven key profile-based vulnerabilities for urban populations, which are relevant in the context of global urbanization, expansion, and climate change. We show which urban coasts are similar in this regard. Sensitivity and exposure to extreme climate-related events, and government effectiveness, are the most important factors for the huge asymmetries of vulnerability between profiles. Against the background of underlying global trends we propose entry points for profile-based vulnerability reduction. The study provides a baseline for further pattern analysis in the rapidly urbanizing coastal fringe as data availability increases. We propose to explore socio-ecologically similar coastal urban areas as a basis for sharing experience and vulnerability-reducing measures among them

Typology of coastal urban vulnerability under rapid urbanization

Coastal areas are urbanizing at unprecedented rates, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Combinations of long-standing and emerging problems in these urban areas generate vulnerability for human well-being and ecosystems alike. This baseline study provides a spatially explicit global systematization of these problems into typical urban vulnerability profiles for the year 2000 using largely sub-national data. Using 11 indicator datasets for urban expansion, urban population growth, marginalization of poor populations, government effectiveness, exposures and damages to climate-related extreme events, low-lying settlement, and wetlands prevalence, a cluster analysis reveals a global typology of seven clearly distinguishable clusters, or urban profiles of vulnerability. Each profile is characterized by a specific data-value combination of indicators representing mechanisms that generate vulnerability. Using 21 studies for testing the plausibility, we identify seven key profile-based vulnerabilities for urban populations, which are relevant in the context of global urbanization, expansion, and climate change. We show which urban coasts are similar in this regard. Sensitivity and exposure to extreme climate-related events, and government effectiveness, are the most important factors for the huge asymmetries of vulnerability between profiles. Against the background of underlying global trends we propose entry points for profile-based vulnerability reduction. The study provides a baseline for further pattern analysis in the rapidly urbanizing coastal fringe as data availability increases. We propose to explore socio-ecologically similar coastal urban areas as a basis for sharing experience and vulnerability-reducing measures among them

Making Progress in Integrated Modelling and Environmental Decision Support

Part 1: Invited TalksInternational audienceIntegrated modelling and environmental decision support are increasingly important as society tackles some of the most complex challenges of our generation, with impacts on future generations. When integrated modelling is successful, the results can be transformational yet the core elements for generating that success are not always clear. There is an elusive element to finding the best mix of methods, models and approaches for any given problem. This raises issues for repeatability and questions regarding how the emerging metadiscipline will converge in order to consistently achieve quality results or increased understanding of the processes that lead to success. Key challenges include the need to diagnose elements that lead to successful process, training for professional and technical competencies, and increased access to stable platforms and interchangeable models and modelling tools. This paper aims to summarize some of the key process and product related challenges of integrated modelling and environmental decision support

Risk perception and impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on work and personal lives of healthcare workers in Singapore: What can we learn?

10.1097/01.mlr.0000167181.36730.ccMedical Care437676-682MDLC